


Find a Way to My Heart (And I Will Follow You)

by SegaBarrett



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: During 4x10, Gen, Ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:34:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26649865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SegaBarrett/pseuds/SegaBarrett
Summary: Bryce comes to help Justin.
Kudos: 17





	Find a Way to My Heart (And I Will Follow You)

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Title is from "Find a Way to My Heart" by Phil Collins.

Justin sucked in a breath, trying to force it all the way down into his lungs and failing. Through his blurry eyesight, he could see Clay there, still holding his hand, and he wanted to cry.

He didn’t want to leave, not now. Not when he finally got into college and had a family. Not with Clay and his parents standing there, hovering over him and willing him to stay.  
But he felt weak, and he knew what they had told him. That this was the end. 

“Justin,” a voice called, and Justin tried to turn his head. “I’m over here. Don’t hurt yourself.” 

Justin blinked and looked ahead of him to find Bryce Walker kneeling at his bedside. Jess and Clay had let it slip once that they had both seen him, that he appeared in their minds to taunt him, but whenever they saw him they said he had the same parted hair he’d worn before Hannah died and was decked out in Liberty gear. Like nothing had ever changed.

Bryce didn’t look like that now. His hair was short, and the letter jacket he wore was that of Hillcrest, and his eyes weren’t taunting. They were sad, a look Justin couldn’t ever remember seeing in them before.

“Bryce,” Justin whispered. “I’m dying.”

“I see,” Bryce said, looking down. “You don’t look good. I’ve never seen you as pale as that.” 

“Yeah. It’s pretty bad…” Justin whispered. 

“Why didn’t you tell anybody?” Bryce asked. He leaned down a little, touching Justin’s face on the opposite side of where Clay sat. Justin wondered if Clay was listening to him, if he thought he was just the ramblings of someone going – what was Freddie Mercury’s phrase again – “slightly mad” in death. “Why didn’t you tell me? Or Clay?”

Justin picked up his free hand and flexed the fingers, shuddering.

“What would I have told you? Either of you? Knowing what I did? It was hard enough to tell Jess… How would you have looked at me?”

“The same way I’m looking at you now,” Bryce replied. “No one should have hurt you, Justin. Not me and not anybody else.”

Justin sucked back a breath and tried not to start crying again. It was bad enough to cry in front of Clay, but he couldn’t cry in front of Bryce. 

“Justin,” Bryce whispered. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Justin’s eyes felt heavy. He wanted to sleep. But he knew what sleep might mean, and that he needed to try to fight it. Maybe just for a little while longer.

“I don’t want to go with you,” Justin said, “I want to stay with Clay and Jess.”

Bryce reached down and squeezed Justin’s free hand.

“I know you want to stay with them. But Justin… It’s time to go.” He looked over at where Clay was watching Justin, intently, with tears in his eyes. “Jensen will have to let me take over for a little while.”

“Bryce, I can’t…”

Bryce squeezed his hand. 

“I’ll help you.” His fingers ran up Justin’s arm, to his shoulder, to his face and forehead. He gently rubbed his thumb across the skin there. Justin couldn’t help but close his eyes. “Welcome home.”

And Justin slept.


End file.
